Save Me
by squeakyfingers
Summary: Drabble series. Too many bruises, too much pain. GCR.
1. Save Me

Save Me  
  
By: Allison  
  
Archive: The Graveyard, my site.  
  
Disclaimer: Not my players, just my playground.  
  
A/N: written for csi100's pleasure pain challenge.  
  
Summary: Too many bruises, too much pain.  
  
+++++  
  
Catherine shuddered, the combination of cool Las Vegas night air and the throbbing above her left temple enough to cause her to wrap her arms tightly around her body.   
  
Her eyes move to the open window, she wonders if she should shut it. The entire first floor was locked, she should feel safe.  
  
But every time she blinked, she saw his face. Felt his hands on her wrists. Heard his voice, and her cries for help… ringing in her ears.  
  
Every time she breathed, she wondered why Gil wasn't there afterwards.   
  
To save her from herself, from what her attacker had forced her to become.  
  
-Fin. 


	2. White Knight

White Knight  
  
By: Allison  
  
Archive: The Graveyard, my site.  
  
Disclaimer: Not my players, just my playground.  
  
A/N: Companion to 'Save Me'. For the pain/pleasure csi100 challenge  
  
Summary: Every once in awhile, the greatest of white knights falls off of his steed.  
  
++++++  
  
He didn't know why he sat there, but he did-at his desk, pen poised above the paper, unwilling to sign the leave request sitting in front of him.  
  
He didn't know why they weren't able to catch Catherine's attacker. Why he couldn't catch him.  
  
He didn't know why he wasn't with her. His heart felt it as if it had been ripped out of his chest hen he thought about her.  
  
Finally, Gil rose from his chair and prepared to leave.  
  
He didn't know why he'd fallen off his steed, but he was willing to get back on.  
  
-- Fin. 


	3. Leap of Faith

Leap of Faith  
  
By Allison  
  
Archive: The Graveyard, my site.  
  
A/N: 3rd in my drabble series... Catherine's POV, follows 'White Knight'.  
  
Summary: You just gotta have faith…  
  
+++++  
  
She's startled by the knock on her front door. Momentarily she wrapped the sheets tighter around her body, not wanting to get up and answer it.  
  
No sane person visited someone's house at three-thirty in the morning.  
  
No sane person hid underneath the sheets when they heard someone knock on their door, either.  
  
Catherine didn't know what possessed her to finally leave her room, to open the door, after swearing she'd never be able to leave her house again.  
  
But she did.  
  
And when she saw who was waiting on her porch, she walked outside, and to his waiting arms.  
  
-- Fin. 


	4. Forgiveness

Forgiveness  
  
By: Allison  
  
Archive: The Graveyard, my site.  
  
A/N: 4th in my drabble series. Gil's POV, follows `Leap of Faith'.  
  
Summary: Will she, or won't she?  
  
++++  
  
His hand freezes a moment, hovering in mid air a moment before he's finally able to summon up the courage to knock on her door.  
  
Will she forgive him?  
  
Or will she slam the door right back in his face?  
  
Grissom's not sure. But he knows he has to try. He knows she's stronger than this; that he has to help her. He only hopes that she'll let him.  
  
His heart jumps to his chest as he sees the door creep open.  
  
Slowly, cautiously.  
  
And it breaks as she runs to him, into his arms, tears falling on his jacket.  
  
-- Fin. 


	5. Another Foot Forward

Another Foot Forward  
  
By: Allison  
  
A/N: Fifth in my drabble series. Catherine's POV, follows "Forgiveness".  
  
Summary: It's not going to stop, till you wise up.  
  
+++++  
  
She feels her heart shatter as she runs to his embrace; unable to keep her composure in his presence. It's always been this way. Every time she fell apart he was always there to pick up the pieces.  
  
Gil had seen her at her best, and at her worst.  
  
As she cried into his shirt one more time, she wondered briefly if this was how it was meant to be. If every time she fell he was meant to pick her up.   
  
And at that revelation, she felt herself recoil from his protective embrace. And out into uncertainty.  
  
- Fin. 


	6. Continued Steps

Continued Steps  
  
By: Allison  
  
Disclaimer: Not my players, just my playground.  
  
A/N: Sixth in my drabble series. Follows "Another Foot Forward."  
  
Gil's POV.  
  
++++++  
  
When she pulls herself away from him, he wonders if he's failed. He wonders if his being there hurt her more than helped her. Could it be that it took more than showing up on her doorstep with soothing words on his lips to glue back together their fragile relationship?  
  
Perhaps it took less.  
  
When he looks deep into her clear blue eyes, he doesn't see anger, he sees hurt. And her determination, her spark. He sees more of Catherine Willows in her than he has in a long time.  
  
Maybe she doesn't need him.  
  
Maybe she doesn't want him. 


	7. Wrong Turn

Wrong Turn  
  
By: Allison  
  
Disclaimer: Not my players, just my playground.  
  
A/N: 7th in my drabble series. Follows "Continued Steps". Cath's POV.  
  
++++  
  
She sees the look on his face. He's confused, and then, he's well not. After a moment she sees understanding, compassion. Maybe she's doing the wrong thing, she's not sure. But she's going to do it anyway, and he's not going to stop her.   
  
"Gil..."  
  
"Catherine, don't pull away."  
  
Catherine took his hand and led him through the door. She had to explain, had to make him understand.  
  
But when they made their way to the couch, and he traced his fingers lightly around the bruises on her face, she couldn't do it.  
  
All she could do was kiss him.  
  
TBC. 


	8. Your Bruise

Your Bruise  
  
By: Allison  
  
Disclaimer: Not my players, just my playground.  
  
A/N: Drabble 8 of the series...yea long time no see, eh? Follows "Wrong Turn". Grissom's POV. If you want to read the others...visit the drabble section of the archives.  
  
"Gil..."   
  
He sees the tension returning to her limbs. He hears it in her voice. She's retreating inward again and he doesn't know what to do.   
  
"Catherine, don't pull away."  
  
She leads him into the house and he holds his breathe, expecting the worst. They sit down on the couch, and he lets his fingers touch her bruises. He doesn't want to forget her face, her features, or the way he's hurt her so badly. He'd afraid he might do it again; afraid she'd break beneath his touch.  
  
But when her lips crash into his, she's still there, holding on.  
  
TBC. 


	9. Fear

Fear  
By: Allison  
Disclaimer: Not my players, just my playground.  
A/N: Drabble 9 of the series...yea long time no see, eh? Follows "Your Bruise" Cath's POV. If you want to read the others...visit the drabble section of the archives.

She feels her fingers dig into his arm, manicured nails creating crescent shaped moons in the dark brown leather of his jacket.  
  
"God Cath," He mutters to her through swollen lips, "I'm so sorry." But she doesn't say anything back. He's here now, and despite past breakdowns where she know he wasn't, she won't let him go.  
  
Tears come like a waterfall; and now that they've started she knows they won't cease. "I'm scared, Gil."  
  
The words sounded hollow in her ears. After two weeks of hiding, safe within her shell, scared was just the tip of the iceberg.   
  
TBC.


	10. Not Enough

Not Enough

By: Allison

A/N: This is Drabble 10. Follows "Fear" and is in Gil's POV…I'll bet your wondering when you'll find out what happened. Well it's not in this chapter. I got a plea to update this series ... so here you go. Enjoy.

* * *

She felt so tiny in his arms. Fragile as glass that was about to break. He hears her tell him she's scared and he knows there's more. The look in her eyes conveys something deeper than fear itself, something that no one should be forced to experience.

He wants her to tell him what happened. He wants to hear the words -every single one.

"Cath, tell me please."

"I can't, I just can't. It's too hard."

Another set of tears erupts from her sad blue eyes, and he moves to hold her tighter. It's not enough, he knows. But it'll have to do for now.

TBC.


	11. Thirteen Grand

Thirteen Grand  
By: Allie

A/N: This is drabble 11. Follows "Not Enough" in the "Save Me" drabble series. Catherine's POV. I wrote this a long time ago, and never published it here. I hope you enjoy it.  
Summary: "Talk about all that you kept bottled up inside, makes you laugh, then it makes you cry." -- Thirteen Grand, The Wrens.

* * *

Is this happening, Catherine wonders, digging her fingers deeper in Grissom's jacket.

This love, this spark of happiness grown from tragedy?

He wanted to help her heal her. But she was unsure if her wounds, freshly bandaged and scabbed over, could ever fully heal.

She shuddered, a chill running through her despite the warmth of Gil's arms tangled in hers. She couldn't be the woman he loved - strong, confident, independent. Not right now.

She was damaged. Uncapable of loving him the way she herself wanted to love him. And that wasn't fair, to either of them.

"We can't do this, Gil," Catherine stammered, defeated. "I won't let you do this."

TBC.


	12. Full Circle

Full Circle  
By: Allie

Disclaimer: Not my players, just my playground  
Summary: "Put your faith in me my friends. That one day I'll find a way to give all the things that you've given to me back." -- Put Your Hands On Me, My Love; Owen  
A/N: Drabble 12. Follows "Thirteen Grand" in the "Save Me" series. Gil's POV. This is the last chapter. I know the whole story is ambiguous, but I decided that was best.

* * *

"We can't do this, Gil. I won't let you do this." Grissom saw the words tumble and crash as they spilled, trembling, from her mouth.

"You can't stop me Cath," he whispered, his eyes fixed upon her defeated form.

"I'm not who you fell in love with. I want to be. But I'm not." She pulled away, putting distance between their bodies - hoping, he knew, for the resolve to do the unthinkable - push him away for good.

"I'm not asking you to be."

"You deserve better - you shouldn't have to pick up the pieces of my life."

"But I want to."

FIN.


End file.
